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The open ones do not block sound as well. People standing close by will be able to hear you and you might hear sound from noise in the same room. They contain the sound well enought not to wake people.

The open phone have the best quality sound

closed headphones contain the sound better and isolate you from the environment. They block noise from TV in another room and others can't hear me playing . But it's harder to make good sounding closed phones because of the air trapped between the housing and the diaphragm

I use some low cost closed headphones AKG K77. the sound is not as good as my open K240 but good enough for practice. AKG makes some better closed headphones based on the k240. the k240 has been the industry recording engineer's headphone for decades. I prefer the k240 for recorded music but "closed" is so much better for practice.

You can also buy some home hifi type headphons but these are made for playing recorded music. I like the accuracy of studio monitor headphones and the AGK's have a nice self adjusting headband that I can wear for hours

But a lot of people now are using the in-ear earbuds. the ones that fit in like earplugs. These are very good too. I use a pair for practice outside the house because they are so easy to carry. They come in all qualities. At the high end they are very good. This is what most people on stage will be using (Ultimate Ears) The ultimate ears brand is I think the most common with profesional entertainers. But they are not cheap. Soe U.E. models, I think are custom fit by an audiologist so they are very comfortable but expensive.

I think the K77 do fine for practice and they cost about $40. Digital pianos are not hard to reproduce, you don't need hifi type headphones

It's up to what you are comfortable with, but if I had to practice with phones, I would use only the big "cans" that fit all the way around the ear. If the others say open models give better sound, I can see why and I believe them.

I can't listen to in-ear models for more than a short while. But hey, maybe I just haven't tried the good ones...

I bought a pair of Open over the ear headphones recently, the DT990 Pro by Beyerdynamic. I've used them for a few months now and find them very comfortable for reasonably long periods of use. By long I mean a few hours on the piano along with a few more hours listening to music whilst working.

Downsides other than cost and been rather large is that because they're open, you can hear everything going on around you. If you're in a fairly loud environment, open headphones are not a good choice as you'll end up increasing the volume which in turn can damage your hearing. But, if you're in a reasonably quiet environment, they're great

Although they do leak sound, I've not found this to be any problem at all at the levels I listen to you're hard pressed to hear anything more than a few meters away at night and even then it's very quiet. In fact, the keys on my DP make much more noise

Pros are they sound much nicer than any of the closed headphones I've tried and I find my head doesn't seem to get as warm

ok, so the on-ear headphones are too uncomfortable for long periods of time?

And are the in-ear type comfortable for long sessions (1-2 hours)?

does anybody here wear in-ear for playing?

Yes those little ones that smash your ears, their only advantage is cost and maybe they are semi-compact. But mostly there are just cheap.

I use both in ear and over ear type. My K77 are the "full size" type with the pads that go all around the ear but don't touch it. These are comfortable for long periods and seals the sound better. As said about these come in both open and closed styles. you trade sound quality for sound isolation.

I also use a pair of Sony in-ear types. There are three kinds of these and at first may appear alike. (1) The normal Apple stylr ear bud. These just kind of fit into the outer ear loosely. I don't think any of these are good quality. (2) the ones that look like earplugs and fit inside. These really do block sound. I can ware then "forever". I use them with my iPod outdoors on the sidewalks. Decent ones are about $35 and much better ones are around $100 Some people like these hate them. Sound isolation is very good. I can't hear people speaking unless they are close and speaking loud. Most brands come with three sizes of interchangeable (for lack of better term) "gaskets" and you select them based of the size of your ear. Some people don't like the feeling of plugs in the ears. I think you might get used to it. Buy a cheap pair of Sony EX71 and try.

I own each kind Over the ears, open and closed and some in-ear type. I recommend all of them. Each for a different purpose

i'm really surprised that no-one is recommending the on-ear type, are they really that uncomfortable? (because i was considering either the SR60i or Bose on-ear, but if on-ear phones are so bad i'll reconsider)

So now i'm trying to decide wether i'll go for over-ear or in-ear, i'm just not sure if the in-ear are going to sound good enough relative to the over-ear?

I have a pair of Sony Movie/Cinema headphones, paid $25 CAD for them on sale. Nice Sony quality, sturdy, long cord. They are large, over the ear type, and they are very comfortable for long periods of time. I have a real big head, too. The sound is incredible for the low price I paid for them. I looked at all the expensive ones, but went with these and they work perfectly for me with my P120, my DGX through the computer, and for music. My two cents worth...

I think that it'll be difficult to beat the sound of Sennheiser's open 'phones. I've been using the HD 600's for a couple of years and they have superb reproduction. The only problem is that they're pricey.

In-ear, on-ear, over-ear can all be comfortable, but a model can be comfortable to some but not others. It is important to try them on if possible.

For example ... You originally considered the Grado SR60i. I recently bought the Alessandro MS1i that is physically almost the same. The headband (being a metal band inside) can be "stretched" so that you can adjust the pressure applied to your ears to your liking. To me the lack of padding in the vinyl headband cover results in discomfort on the top of my head, though many others (probably with full hair :-)) do not have this problem. I plan to replace the cover with a leather padded one, which should resolve this issue. It sounds great by the way.

Your are correct in focusing on sound quality. Again, there are models in all three types that sound good. You might want to visit headroom.com or head-fi.org to get a sense of what sounds good in your price range and then if possible try them on before purchasing.

Normally there are a lot of distant noise going on around, like cars on the street, wind blowing outside, washing machine in the basement, someone walking by, your own movements producing sounds and so on.

Having read several Internet reviews, I would say it would be interesting to hear someone comment on for example (a specific Bose) or the Sennheiser PXC450, with noise reduction, which, by some reason, produces a little noise (by itself), but makes the overall sound become better.

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P-85 cheap plastic imitation; not because of sound, but weight.

I'm not intentionally looking for studio quality, its just that if i'm going to spend around £50, i may as-well pay slightly more and get a pair that i can use for everything. (which is part of my reason for leaning towards on-ear, since over-ear are slightly impractical for ipod use why walking down the street, etc.)

But i could buy a pair dedicated to piano usage, i'm just looking for the best comfort:sound:price ratio, more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

oh really? i assumed since bose were such a prominent name that they must be a sure bet, i'm considering just buying a pair of the Sennheiser CX 300-II and seeing if they're comfortable enough for long term usage (if not ill pick up some over-ear phones)

So basically im asking are the Sennheisers a good idea? Also i'd like to say that really i was taken with the Grado SR60i on-ear phones, so i'm hoping someone is going to tell me how good they are so i can justify the purchase.

Also one last thing, has anyone here heard of / used "skullcandy" headphones? any good?

i assumed since bose were such a prominent name that they must be a sure bet.

Bose is all about brand cachet and little else. They've been making overpriced goods for over 30 years now.

Back then, they figured they could shove a half-dozen little cheap speakers in a box, overdrive the bass to compensate for the lame speakers (using an expensive, proprietary equalizer that required a mongo amplifier to go with it), and surround all that with the a glitzy ad campaign. People bought into the name without realizing they were being taken. Notice how no other name brand has followed the path that Bose took?

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 280's that I think sound nice. These are noise cancelling studio monitor headphones. I wear these for several hours at a time, and I don't find them uncomfortable at all given that they are big gaudy looking things. Very nice sound quality for the money. Stay away from Bose. Not worth the money.

It is based on Grado components (some says SR80i, say even says SR125i), and I read from head-fi.org forums that the Alessandro tends to sound more neutral than comparable Grados. I have not compared them using the same music and the same set up myself but I do remember SR80i being a bit agressive in the treble. As mentioned, except for the headband (lack of padding), I am very happy with the MS1i, and the issue can be fixed with a better headband cover that I will purchase soon.

SkullCandy is more about style than sound from what I read elsewhere. I would suggest staying with brands like Grado, Alessandro, Sennheiser and other headphone brands already suggested in posts above.

One thing with SR60i/MS1i though, they are open headphones, which means you'll hear sound around you, which is not a bad thing when walking on the street, but if your need sound isolation (e.g. while commuting in the tube or a bus) then you may want to consider other designs.

I think that it'll be difficult to beat the sound of Sennheiser's open 'phones. I've been using the HD 600's for a couple of years and they have superb reproduction. The only problem is that they're pricey.

Pricey - this might be translated as "you get what you pay for".

A previous post suggested that open phones can be heard by others in the room. Wow - as soon as I set them down, they are virtually silent. I've been using my Sennheiser HD340's for about sixteen years, and my wife has never heard them yet - maybe the poster has had them turned up way too high.

The open style is very comfortable for hours, and when someone calls you, you can hear them and not miss dinner.

I'm not intentionally looking for studio quality, its just that if i'm going to spend around £50, i may as-well pay slightly more and get a pair that i can use for everything. (which is part of my reason for leaning towards on-ear, since over-ear are slightly impractical for ipod use why walking down the street, etc.)

But i could buy a pair dedicated to piano usage, i'm just looking for the best comfort:sound:price ratio, more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm also considering the Bose on-ear phones, any reviews?

"Studio" qualty is not expensive. What is expensive are the headphones the audiophile or stereo-enthusiast crowd buys. In the studio engineers and musicians only need to monitor a performance or listen critically for content. But those listening to recored music want the "you are there" experience or may be likening a smoothed over sound.

If the headphones are to be used for practice and recording your needs are different from someone listening to a stereo recording. The same applies to speakers. Home hifi is not the same as studio monitors.

I've been using my Sennheiser HD340's for about sixteen years, and my wife has never heard them yet - maybe the poster has had them turned up way too high.

My HD580s are definitely noisy enough to be noticed by others nearby in an otherwise silent room, even at normal listening levels. That is when listening to music though, and it's mostly higher frequencies like hi-hats etc. that's audible, so it might not be a problem when using it for a DP.

oh really? i assumed since bose were such a prominent name that they must be a sure bet, i'm considering just buying a pair of the Sennheiser CX 300-II and seeing if they're comfortable enough for long term usage (if not ill pick up some over-ear phones)

I have got these (CX-300) for my iPod. They sound good (to me) and are comfortable, but I am not too keen on in-ear phones for longer times. So, I am happy with them for the gym, or travel, but I don't like having them in for hours (my ears start to ache!!!).

I don't use headphones for practising (I much prefer to let my husband experience the noise), but we recently bought Sennheiser RS130 wireless ones. I have used them once on my piano, but they were intended to be used with the TV when one of us (me) wants to go to sleep earlier... They seem to sound ok, and not having a cord dragging across the room is a big help!

i'm really surprised that no-one is recommending the on-ear type, are they really that uncomfortable? (because i was considering either the SR60i or Bose on-ear, but if on-ear phones are so bad i'll reconsider)

So now i'm trying to decide wether i'll go for over-ear or in-ear, i'm just not sure if the in-ear are going to sound good enough relative to the over-ear?

which of the ear types sound best?

Many thanks.

The best of the in-ear type are very, very, good but they are not cheap. People don't like paying $200+ for something so tiny. I'd suggest trying a cheaper pair first. The Sony EX71 are cheap (about $20 at amazon) but not bad. Then if you find you can stand having these "ear plugs" in your ears go for the higher end ones. If you want to jump right in an gamble that you'll like them the "Ultimate Ears" brand is good and is used by a lot of musicians on stage. You do have to learn to be careful with these kind of headphone as the wire lead is very fine and you can't simply toss them in a backpack like you can a full sized headphones.

There simply is no reason to use the on-ear type phones. They have no advantage over the others.

Thanks for the info, i bought the sennheiser cx300-II in-ear, so i'll see if i like 'em for long periods of usage, and if so, i'll take your advice and trade up!

In my view, CX-300s are great for the price. The only problem is that they can be tricky to keep clean if you use them a lot. But at the price, you can replace them several times and still spend less-money than you would on a top-quality set.

Long-term comfort really depends on finding which of the various rubber sleeves fits your ears.

Yeah i agree, i was just uncertain if the in-ear type were looked down upon by the audiophile crowd, i suppose unless i have a pair of expensive over-ears by hand to do comparison with, the in-ear will sound sufficient.

Yeah i agree, i was just uncertain if the in-ear type were looked down upon by the audiophile crowd, i suppose unless i have a pair of expensive over-ears by hand to do comparison with, the in-ear will sound sufficient.

Many thanks guys!

Quite the contrary, up until the somewhat recent release of several relatively low cost IEMs, most IEMs were specifically targeted towards audiophiles (talking true IEM's like the Shure or Etymotics, not buds).

I'll concur with KevinB in that long term comfort can be really hit or miss depending on fit. Fit also plays a big part in how good a particular IEM sounds to a particular person, so don't be surprised if your perception of the quality of a particular IEM doesn't jive with someone elses. A good seal (not the juggling the ball on the nose kind) is esp. important to get decent bass from those itty bitty drivers. Find a good pair though and the sound can be quite rewarding.